The Indiana Fever officially introduced Kelly Krauskopf as the team's new president of basketball and business operations on Tuesday. She was previously the team's president and general manager from 2000-2018, and had spent the interceding years as the assistant general manager for the NBA's Indiana Pacers.
Krauskopf also has significant experience working with USA Basketball and was a member of the Women's Senior Basketball Team Committee for the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
During her first stint in charge, Krauskopf built a championship team around Tamika Catchings and turned the Fever into one of the most successful and respected organizations in the league. Now, she's back to try and do the same with Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark as the the centerpiece.
Ahead of what will be an important offseason, here are some key takeaways from Krauskopf's introductory press conference:
The Fever want Mitchell back
While Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston got most of the headlines for the Fever's post-Olympics surge, Kelsey Mitchell's transformation into one of the best guards in the league was one of the biggest reasons for their success. She averaged 23.4 points on 50.6/45.4/87.2 shooting splits, three rebounds and 1.8 assists after the break.
Mitchell is an unrestricted free agent this winter, and there have been questions about whether she'll re-sign with the Fever or go elsewhere to perhaps become a team's primary backcourt option. When asked about her plans, Mitchell was not forthcoming.
"Those conversations are going to have to be had, and I'm gonna do what's best for me," Mitchell said following the season. "It's always going to be a business, so I'm excited to explore free agency. I've never been a free agent in my professional career, so I'm excited to see where it goes."
Whatever ends up happening, it's clear that the Fever are going to make a push to bring Mitchell back. Krauskopf was still in her first stint with the team when Mitchell was drafted, and spoke glowingly about the dynamic lefty. She called Mitchell a "foundational player" and praised her "veteran leadership."
"We wouldn't be where we are today without Kelsey Mitchell," Krauskopf continued. "She's clearly a very foundational piece. She's got seven years of being in and out of this building. She went through a lot as we were preparing to be even better as a better place to play. New practice court, new arena, all the remodels. Kelsey went through all of that. She got better, she never put her head down, she kept playing hard and she did everything she could. She's extremely important to the success of the future. We intend to have lots of conversations and make sure she knows that, and I think she knows that."
Smith's future in Indiana very much in doubt
After the Fever were eliminated from the playoffs by the Connecticut Sun, NaLyssa Smith posted what read like a farewell message on social media.
well um,
— #1 (@NaLyssaSmith) September 26, 2024
one, i could’ve never imagined my 3rd year to go like this lol but i know there’s a lesson in every loss. the love i have for my teammates will forever be unmatched the amount of times yall picked me up & just brightened up my day by jus making me laugh when yall knew… pic.twitter.com/0nwoqCRmNs
She is under contract for the 2025 season, but it would not be a surprise to see the Fever trade her this winter. Her inability to shoot from the outside or play the 5 by herself makes her a poor fit for this roster going forward, and while she started 37 regular-season games, she was often not on the floor in crunch time and was benched for the must-win Game 2 against the Sun.
Krauskopf's comments did not end any of the questions about Smith's future in Indianapolis.
"There's always players that end seasons that probably wish it would have gone better for them, or they have different views," Krauskopf said. "I'm not going to tell you I know exactly what her future looks like. She's a part of our team right now, an important part of the team. She's a tremendous talent, she's a big part of how the team got to where they got to this year.
"Obviously, I didn't see every single game, but look, we're gonna evaluate everything and have those types of discussions with her and her agent. I've done this long enough. Not every player's happy at the end of the season. You don't panic, you don't react, you just stay the course. My job is to make sure we put the best team on the floor."
What about Sides?
After two decades as an assistant coach at various levels and in multiple countries, Christie Sides was hired to be the Fever's head coach before the 2023 season. The team has improved in each of her two seasons, and she oversaw their first playoff appearance since 2016.
However, there have been near-constant calls for her job, particularly on social media. But what do those inside the building think? Here's Krauskopf:
"What a roller-coaster ride for her. I was smart enough to know the schedule was stacked against a young team early in the season. the way that they weathered the storm, got into a groove after the Olympic break... For a young team to make that kind of progress, it's hard not to be impressed.
"I think the outside noise, what she had to endure as a coach, what they had to endure as a staff to keep that team focused and together. It takes time. It took a long time for teams that I had to gel and get together, I mean years. It doesn't happen in four months, it takes a few years. I was really impressed with the progress that they made.
"Christie is a resilient leader, she's a culture builder. I know that she's got that stamina to stick to it and stick to her plan. She's a good person and a great leader, and I was impressed with the way they finished."
Those are all positive comments, and Sides does deserve a lot of praise for keeping this team from falling off the rails after their poor start. And like her players, she got better as the season went along. It's notable, though, that Krauskopf praised her as a person, a leader and a culture builder, and did not mention anything specific about Xs and Os or her philosophy on either side of the ball. Furthermore, Sides was not a Krauskopf hire, and new executives often like to bring in their own people.
Sides has done enough to deserve another season, and very well may keep the job. However, it would ultimately not be surprising if the Fever thank her for what she did to help stabilize the franchise over the past two seasons and go in another direction. There's no time to waste with Clark and Boston in town, and if they aren't convinced that Sides is the coach to eventually get them to a championship level, they should move on this winter.
Free agency needs and becoming a desirable location
Indianapolis is not a glamorous city, but the Fever have their own practice facility and recently renovated locker rooms, and are putting immense resources into both the business and basketball sides of the franchise. Plus, the have the best playmaker in the league in Caitlin Clark, and a young core on the rise.
All of that is to say, the Fever should be a free agent destination.
"We're definitely in a position [where we can add some pieces]," Krauskopf said. "I would think that if you are a smart basketball player and you watch the way [Clark] plays, you would want to play with her. Much like [Indiana Pacers guard] Tyrese Haliburton, she gets you the ball in places you didn't even know you were open. Because she passes to space and she finds openings and ways to free up other players.
"I look at how her and Kelsey [Mitchell] worked together and the efficiency of the offense because of the way she plays the game. I think that would be a big draw, I think it's an easy picture to paint to free agents."
The Fever $657,639 in cap space this winter, though that does not include potential deals for Mitchell or other free agents, such as Temi Fagbenle and Erica Wheeler. Even if they re-signed all of them, they will still have a good amount of money to work with.
Krauskopf noted that she wants to add some veterans to the group this winter. This season, the Fever had the least playoff experience of any team in the postseason. To little surprise, she also wants to target players who make sense next to Clark. "We want to play almost identical to the way the Pacers are playing -- or maybe they want to play like we're playing -- but either way, finding those right fits around a point guard like her is gonna make us awfully dangerous," Krauskopf said.
In terms of specific positional needs, she noted the Fever need "some more size."
The first player that jumps off the free agent list and checks every box of experience, size and fit is Satou Sabally. Slotting her into the starting lineup in NaLyssa Smith's place would make the Fever a significantly better team. Plus, they have the cap space to do so.
